Anthony Mackie

Actor Anthony Mackie rose to prominence with powerful turns on the New York stage in acclaimed productions like "Up Against the Wind" and "Talk. " His performances eventually brought him to Hollywood,...
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As the Marvel Cinematic Universe takes over the real universe, we decided to take a look at some aspects of the Marvel World you may not be familiar with. How many of these facts did you know?
1. When Robert Downey Jr. was in high school, he was once suspended for tearing a classmate's comic book to pieces and calling him a "nerd." The comic book? The Invincible Iron Man.
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2. Famous loner Wolverine has actually been on more super teams than any other Marvel character.
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3. It was revealed in the 1980s that Peter Parker, Spider-Man's secret identity, grew up at 20 Ingram Street in Forest Hills, Queens.
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That address, in real life, has been owned by an actual Parker family since 1974.
4. Vin Diesel recorded all his "I am Groot" lines over 1,000 times in multiple languages in order for his voice to fit the role around the world.
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He said "I am groot" in Russian, Spanish, Mandarin, Portuguese, German, and French, all while wearing stilts to get a feel for the character's height.
5. Iron Man's suit is made up of roughly 450 separate pieces.
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6. Natalia Romanova, also known as Black Widow, is still a super hottie thanks to a variation of the super-soldier serum.
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She's actually 70 years old though. Da-yum.
7. Chris Evans turned down the role of Captain America three times before the producers eventually convinced him to accept it.
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8. Mark Ruffalo had to leave to the premiere of The Avengers early because his four-year-old daughter was so terrified of her father's onscreen transformation into the Hulk. We don't blame her!
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9. For Thor: The Dark World, there were over 30 Mjölnirs (Thor's hammer) created.
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10. Michael Jackson tried to buy Marvel Comics in the early 90s. He was planning to produce and star in a Spider-Man movie that never happened. Wouldn't that be crazy?
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11. Deadpool originated as a spoof of DC Comic's Deathstroke. That's why Deadpool's real name, Wade Wilson, is so similar to Deathstroke's, Slade Wilson.
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12. A body double was used for Chris Evans in Captain America: The First Avenger for the scenes where he's skinny.
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Digital technology was utilized in order to erase Evans' body in order to create the allusion of a tiny, tiny version of the actor.
13. Red Skull, Captain America's nemesis, was created after Joe Simon noticed the cherry on his ice cream sundae resembled a skull. Such delicious beginnings for such an evil guy, no?
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14. The chemicals from the blue make-up used to transform Rebecca Romijn into Mystique caused her to yak blue vomit all over Hugh Jackman after taking a tequila shot.
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The celebrations on the final day of the first film were a little tainted by it.
15. In 1987, Spider-Man married Mary Jane. To coincide with the nuptials, Marvel held a press event featuring live-action versions of the characters getting married at Shea Stadium.
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16. Cyclops' eyes function as a portal to another dimension that generates the energy used for his optic blasts. He's also immune to his powers, which is why he doesn't blast his own eyelids off.
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17. Marvel evaded a law raising taxes on toys based on humans by claiming the X-Men toys were mutants, not humans. Clever, clever!
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18. In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Falcon's flight gear has a Stark Industries logo on it.
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19. The Punisher was originally created as an adversary for Spider-Man before getting his own standalone comic in 1986.
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20. Believe it or not, the richest superhero is not the incredibly wealthy Tony Stark (Iron Man); it's actually Black Panther. He has 5 times Stark's fortune, $500 billion.
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21. When Stan Lee initially pitched Spider-Man, his publishers thought it would fail because nobody wants to see a teenage hero (and, obvi nobody likes spiders).
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The first issue quickly became one of Marvel's highest-selling comics.
22. Captain America is one of the few people able to use Iron Man's armor, Thor's hammer, and only one of two foreigners entrusted with the Black Panther's technology. No wonder everyone loves Captain America so much!
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23. Wolverine can literally sense when someone's lying. He can also super easily identify shape-shifters.
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24. Captain America's shield can only be damaged on a molecular level because it's made of an adamantium/vibranium alloy.
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25. For everyone heartbroken when Gwen Stacy died in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, prepare for more heartbreak.
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There was debate over whether she met her end at the hands of the Green Goblin throwing her off the bridge or if it was Spider-Man's fault. It was eventually revealed that Spidey's web stopped her so suddenly that she was killed by a whiplash effect. :(
26. The Incredible Hulk was not originally the green giant we've come to know and love. He started out grey, but due to ink problems in printing, we have our green guy.
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27. Venom was originally written as a female character.
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Writer David Michelle was forced by his editor to alter the character's gender because "readers wouldn't see the woman as a physical threat" to Spidey. Rude.
28. Robert Downey Jr. gave a seven-year-old boy born with a partially developed arm a prosthetic modeled after his character's super-powered gauntlets.
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This, along with the incredibly generous and kind behavior of Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Andrew Garfield, et al, help to make these Marvel actors real life superheroes. And for that, we love them.
h/t @MarvelousFacts

Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Interstellar lead the nominations for this year's (15) Saturn Awards. Officials at the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror unveiled the nominations on Thursday (05Mar15) and Marvel's 2014 Captain America sequel leads the way with 11 nods, one more than Matthew McConaughey's space drama Interstellar.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier picked up nominations for Best Comic Book-to-Film Release, Best Actor (Chris Evans), Best Director (Anthony & Joe Russo), Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Mackie) and Best Supporting Actress (Scarlett Johansson).
Interstellar's 10 nominations include nods for Best Science Fiction Film, Best Director (Christopher Nolan), Best Actor (Matthew McConaughey), Best Actress (Anne Hathaway) and Best Supporting Actress (Jessica Chastain).
Meanwhile Guardians of the Galaxy, which will compete with the Captain America sequel for Best Comic Book-to-Movie, picked up eight nominations, including Best Actor (Chris Pratt) and Best Director (James Gunn).
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes also claimed eight nominations, including Best Science Fiction Film, Best Director and Best Visual Effects. Edge of Tomorrow and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies each scored seven nominations.
The awards will be presented in Burbank, California on 25 June (15).

Actor Anthony Mackie has been ordered to complete an alcohol awareness programme after he was convicted of driving while impaired (DWI). The charge dates back to 2013, when the Captain America: The Winter Soldier star was pulled over by police in Harlem, New York.
The officers smelled alcohol on his breath and noticed his bloodshot eyes and escorted him to a local station for booking.
He stood trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on Friday (20Feb15), and was convicted by Judge Kevin McGrath after hearing testimony from three police witnesses.
Mackie, who declined to testify, shook his head in disappointment as the verdict was announced later on Friday, but thanked the judge for presiding over a fair trial.
He said, "Thank you, your honour, for the opportunity. Thank you for listening to the case and coming up with a fair conclusion."
The actor, 36, was also banned from driving in New York City for 90 days and ordered to pay fines.
He was granted permission to undergo the drink-driving counselling programme in his native Louisiana, reports the New York Daily News.

Actor Anthony Mackie wants a judge to dismiss a driving under the influence charge (DUI), insisting it was wrong of police to arrest him merely for having bloodshot eyes and smelling of alcohol. The Captain America star was stopped by cops in New York in 2013 as he drove his car along a road in Harlem.
Officers allegedly smelled booze and suspected Mackie had been drinking, but he refused to submit to a roadside breath test so was taken to a police station and charged with DUI.
During Mackie's trial at Manhattan Criminal Court this week (ends20Feb15), his lawyer argued the cops had no right to arrest the actor purely based on his appearance.
According to New York Post gossip column Page Six, defence attorney Mike Miller told the court, "It's clear that the mere smell of alcohol and bloodshot eyes doesn't give the officers justification to arrest him."
The trial continues.

Sandra Bullock invited her celebrity friends including comediennes Chelsea Handler and Whitney Cummings, actors Anthony Mackie and Michael McDonald, and Matthew McConaughey's wife Camila Alves to celebrate the Mardi Gras festival in her adopted hometown of New Orleans on Monday night (16Feb15). The pals were photographed wearing masks and multiple bead necklaces. The Oscar winner became a part-time resident of the Louisiana city after adopting New Orleans-born son Louis, now five, there in 2010.

Movie star Anthony Mackie relished the chance to play a tough lawyer representing a deadbeat dad in Kevin Costner's new movie Black Or White, because the role allowed him to tackle issues about young African-Americans that irk him. The actor admits he has little respect for young black men who appear to have no self respect.
Mackie says, "No matter where you get me, if I'm wearing shorts or a suit, I'm always the same dude, and with this movie, with that character (his client in the film), I had the ability to express, 'Pull your pants up! You're 25 years old...' If you're 25 years old and you're dressing like a 16 year old, we got a problem. At which point do you elevate yourself?
"That's always been very important to me."

Relativity Media
Are you interested in a film that deals with race, love, and understanding? Then Black Or White is the film for you to see! You're going to want to enter this giveaway now, while you've got the chance!
Black Or White is the story of a grandfather (winner Kevin Costner) who is suddenly left to care for his beloved granddaughter. When her paternal grandmother (Octavia Spencer) seeks custody with the help of her brother (Anthony Mackie), the little girl is torn between two families who love her deeply. With the best intentions at heart, both families fight for what they feel is right and are soon forced to confront their true feelings about race, forgiveness, and understanding. Anchored by an all-star cast and based on real events, the movie is a look at two seemingly different worlds, in which nothing is as simple as black or white.
How to win:
1. Follow @hollywood_com
//
2. RT
Follow us &amp; RT this to enter our #BlackOrWhiteGiveaway for some awesome gift cards &amp; merchandise! #LoveHasNoColor http://t.co/WJtH2T80Rz
— HOLLYWOOD.COM (@Hollywood_com) January 26, 2015
One winner will receive:
- 1 gift card to OpenTable ($100)
- 1 Shutterfly gift card ($50)
- 1 Amazon gift card ($50)
- Branded merchandise: a hoodie, a scarf, and a travel mug
Black or White is in theaters everywhere January 30, 2015.
This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. You must be following Hollywood.com on Twitter and have RT this link in order to be considered. The approximate value of this giveaway is $200.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier star Anthony Mackie was threatened with arrest last year (14) after he was accused of defacing property by signing posters of his superhero character in a crafts store. The Hurt Locker star's sister spotted a large print of Mackie's Falcon character in U.S. retailer Michaels upon the movie's release last spring (Apr14) and she was so excited, she called the actor and urged him to check out the merchandise for himself.
The excited actor decided to stage an impromptu signing session in the store to give fans who might purchase the item a pleasant surprise, but he failed to get approval from the store manager and was subsequently accused of breaking the law.
He explains, "My oldest sister... called me and was like, 'There's a Falcon poster at Michaels, you've gotta come see it.' So I get in the car, get to Michaels... I'm like, 'Oh my God, you know what I should do? I should sign these...'
"So I go and buy a Sharpie (marker pen), walk to the back (of the store). My sister's there eagerly waiting, and we start signing posters... The manager comes back, he's like, 'Hey man, what you doing (sic)?'. I'm like, 'Hey man, I'm signing some posters. They gon' sell pretty fast.'
"He's like, 'Well, you can't do that.' I unroll the poster and say, 'Nah, man, I think it's gonna be alright. I think they gon' move (sell)!'
"He goes, 'No, you're defacing property, so you're gonna have to buy those posters.' I'm 50 posters in, (I'm like), 'Buy the posters...?' He goes, 'If you don't buy them, I'm gonna call the police.'
"So I buy all 50... I bought all of them!"

"I signed on because he called me. He's like, 'Look, I want you to do my movie.' It's, like, Kevin Costner? Done!" Actor Anthony Mackie jumped at the chance to work with the Hollywood legend on new race drama Black Or White after he was personally offered a role by the star.

Appeared as a young art student in acclaimed drama "Brother to Brother"; earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination

Summary

Actor Anthony Mackie rose to prominence with powerful turns on the New York stage in acclaimed productions like "Up Against the Wind" and "Talk. " His performances eventually brought him to Hollywood, where he impressed in his debut as a formidable foe to Eminem in "8 Mile" (2002). Mackie soon graduated to supporting roles and the occasional lead for major directors like Spike Lee with "She Hate Me" (2004) and Clint Eastwood with "Million Dollar Baby" (2005), while maintaining an interest in independent product like "Half Nelson" (2005) and "The Hurt Locker" (2008). The depth and strength of his talents in these projects and many others, including the much-anticipated Notorious B.I.G. biopic "Notorious" (2009) signified that Mackie was among the best actors working in film and stage in the early millennium.